redgaucho

Just bought a nice 94 C280. Is this the right forum to be in? What is the "W202" anyway?

I would like to get a decent Do-It-Yourself repair manual, like the BMW's Bentley type books... Is there anything like them for MBenz'es? I saw a CD version manual on Ebay. Does anyone have any experience with the like?

My C280 has 90K miles. Any particular things I should start checking? What do the different type checks listed in the maintenance logbook include?

I ordered an Alpine CHM S630 with the language adaptor, which I was told is compatible with the factory installed stereo head. I will install it myself next weekend. Any tips and ideas, IE where is the plug in the trunk located at???

Also, any good Mercedes related web site links would be appreciated. I've been an E30 BMW type and this is my first Benz, just to cut my teeth into the brand name. Hope it turns out to be a good one.

Thanks a lot!

DougandhisC280

The two main concerns you need to worry about are the head gasket and wiring harness. If you don't see any oil leaks, you should be ok on the gasket. In 1996 Mercedes issued a new updated one with metal inserts for strenght. Unfortunately, both are really expensive. W202 is the chassis number for all the C class cars. I like the CD version on Ebay. I think they're less than 10 bucks. Click on search to find out about the cd changer wires. Several people have already posted about that.

redgaucho

Thanks! I will search for the CD changer wire info. I did not notice any head gasket leaks, hope it stays that way... What about the wiring harness you mention? Any recalls on that?

DougandhisC280

No recalls, just 600 dollar replacement. The wires get hard and crack after a while. The head gasket is the same way, still no recalls though.

tpliquid

i just gotta say..u bourgh the wrong car to drive..period shold have gotton 98+ less problems

DougandhisC280

No you didn't.

redgaucho

Thanks again for YOUR help, Doug

Carpe Diem, have a great day

DougandhisC280

Yo, no problem. I just realized you're in Mississippi. That makes for 1 more person from the southeast on this forum. Southeast U.S. =3, Southeast California =78. We're catching up!

narci

Problems with my 1997 C36

1) MAS <---- $750 CND
2) Head Gasket <---- warranty
3) Ball joints X3 times <----warranty
4) Catalytic Converter (weld seams coming apart) <----warranty (this part costs like $3500 CND along)
5) Steering Dampner <---- $50 CAD
6) Warped Cylinder Head <----this one hurt. $4500 CND to fix
There's a few more i can't remember right now

Things that are going wrong right now:

1) Ball Joints (again)
2) Tie rod ends
3) Blower motor
4) Faulty/loose wiring that make the lights on the driver side of the car go on and off when I hit bumps
5) sticky shift stick
6) Engine and tranny mounts
7) lower control arm bushings

Things i'm waiting for to go wrong: (based on others with a w202)

1) Flex disc


BTW I have 117,000 KM on my car.

DougandhisC280

I think it's time for you to get a new car.

Rincewind

how do you know if your ball joints are bad?

narci

Clunking sounds i believe when going over the smalled speed bump.

As to Doug, funny thing is most of those problems I had are common on most W202's and i'm not even including the wiring harness mess.

Getting my lower control arm bushings done this week. Going ot lower the car and put bilstein sport shocks and camber adjustment bolt as well.

Going to do the rear brakes too.

Rincewind

i get clunking sounds in the rear when going over something bumpy at high speeds (like 75-80mph)
is this a sign tht they r going

SLCPUNK

That's crazy. With cars like that Mercedes is going to loose their customers one at a time. If I had that experience I'd be in an Acura or Lexus without looking back. Sorry for your bad experience.

merclover

Dont get confused people, its an AMG. they are prone to have many problems even from the very moment htey leave the factory. AMG is a separate brand from mercedes benz and does its own research and development, which, by the way are scarce. so if one can afford an expensive AMG car he should with no problems afford its maintenance costs, because, by having a bigger, tuned engine, he will sacrifice the other parts of the car which were not designed to withstand such an engine, weight and dynamics caused by that beast under the hood. but it is not only the brutal mods they put in these cars, its also driving habits which can screw up a car (too harsh driving).
narci, you car has 117000 kms no? thats around 77k miles. how did u drive it?? 77k is a LOT!
you have all the problems that in the normal c-class benz cars you wouldnt have (apart from the electrical stuff which i agree is weak on the c-class aswell as head gasket and MAS):
ENGINE AND TRANNY MOUNTS?!?!?!?! you must have beaten the living sh** out of the poor car

SLCPUNK

I still would be disapointed if I paid that money for a hand built (it is hand built right?) engine and the car gave me that much trouble.

merclover

youre right man.... i totally agree. but most of the thibngs that flawed in your car were under warranty so..... the rest i do agree that is a bad ting to happen for an expensive car. (how much, 60k?)

SLCPUNK

I think my car is better than I used to think it was the longer I drive it. The place where Mercedes lost me was when they wouldn't even respond to my phone calls about the wiring harness when I inquired about the Goodwill policy. Same with head gasket. I have faith in my car right now though. I'll replace the wiring harness as a precaution this summer. For me to buy another Benz down the road I would have to see marked improvements in their build quality. Acura and Lexus probably lack that "feel" of a Benz when you drive them. That heavy sedan/tank feel. But if they are less pain in the butt to own, that may be worth comprimising. I dunno. I still love my Benz and will keep it for a long time. I'm not one to switch out every couple of years.

merclover

ur right. I think mercs dont compare in anyway to the japanese cars. They might be more reliable or better in technology, but they will never compare to the feel a merc can give you. one could have a bas *** 900hp tuned lexus, but that car will never transmit the sense of power or ride quality a merc (or german car) will give you. now, building quality, id say germans are incredibly good at, what is not so good is the quality check (which is different to constuction quality) at the factory because that is what makes these things happen, the design and the manufacture does not even compare to the humble japanese type of construction. so i sound like a salesman , but its true.
it really don't matter if your merc makes you fork out half its resale price in maintenance, 'cos it is worth the pain. it is of course a big drag. bad luck i guess.

SLCPUNK

Well besides the head gasket it's been all maintenance so far. We'll see, I sure as hell love driving her.

narci

The engine and tranny mounts are liquid filled and are prone to wear and tear, especially with the winters we have up here and the salt.

77K miles (117,000km) for a 6 year old car is not alot of miles/kilometers.

Please, do some research before saying such things about AMG being more to maintain (though maintainece cost are a bit more). Most problems are the head gaskets, MAS and lower control arm bushings. Most M104 engines in general have the head gasket problem as well as the MAS includign the AMG models.

The bushing on w202's go out alot...not just the AMG's.

As well, most if not all M104 engines up until 1997 had the dreaded biodegradable engine harness that parts alone can cost up to $1200 USD (not including labour).

I don't think AMG modified the above parts so my best bet they are prone to all W202 with the I6, if not specific years. (I can't vouch for (220/230's, I ordered one at first before my C36 but figured why buy a MB without luxury options, just my cup of tea)

As well, W202's are prone to tranny problems. Just do a search and you will find.

I don't drive the car hard at all. Just normal weeknight driving and weekend driving.


BTW, i'd never buy a new MB. It has too much of a Chrysler feel too it. Cheap and plastic parts.

Have you driven a Lexus? Man are those things smooth and quiet. I double started the test car I drove cause the V8 was sooooo quiet and silky smooth.

My brother has a 5 series BMW and I have a Merc. Both brands haven't impressed me.

merclover

just from my point of view. it is quite strange that so many things can fail in a merc. but as i said, bad luck i guess.
the car which i had before this merc i have now was precisely a lexus . An IS200 to be exact. it was a good car. but after 96K miles or so i wanted to go back to mercedes to see how things changed (my father owned an '82 500 SEL and it was heaven (for that time ) and now its just a big fuel hogging slug), and since then, driving gained a completely new dimension with the merc. I dont know exactly how to explain it but mercs have this characteristic which is that the engine, chassis and the interior all merge together into one felling which is transmitted to your hands and which makes you want to drive regardless of the time or destination. The lexus in the other hand is a car to "move on", nothing else. i did love the dash on that car though. but the interior was too plasticky, it was sober (blacks and greys only) and the mechanics weren't that much of a wonder too. mind you, that the car gave me absolutely no problems at all. but even so, the engine lacked that vivacity and the ride was just....too....normal. it simply was a car to get from A to B. this one in the other hand, makes you want to drive, and drive, and take care of it like a pet (maybe im getting a bit too weird by now).

the merc has an aggregated thing to it:
the star on the hood, gives you a bit more of "class" which lexus doesn't

SLCPUNK

I'm not trying to be smart but I don't recall the 202 having trannie problems. At least not the earlier models. Was it in the 97 and up models?

95c220

Early w202s didn't have tranny probs. They had the 722.4 transmission, which is pretty bulletproof. the early 1997's had the first run of the 722.6 transmission, and had some bugs. Seems like they got worked out by early/mid 1998.

SLCPUNK

I was close. Do I get a packet of rice-a-roni?